Studying with child(ren)

Students with child(ren), long-term/permanent disabilities, chronic illness or care needs are given preferential allocation of places. On this page you can find out which person is responsible for this in your degree program.

You can make this decision individually. If you do not have additional care for your child(ren), full-time study is difficult to implement. Many students with child(ren) naturally want to finish their studies quickly. With a packed schedule, keep in mind that children sometimes get sick and night work should not be the norm for health reasons. On average, students with child(ren) take four semesters longer than their fellow students without children.

The freedom of students according to § 4 paragraph 2 sentence 3 of the North Rhine-Westphalia Higher Education Act (Hochschulgesetz NRW) basically leaves it up to the students to attend and participate in courses. However, exceptions can be made in the examination regulations for courses in which attendance is considered necessary to achieve the learning objective (e.g. seminars, laboratory practicals). It is best to talk to your responsible lecturer if you expect to exceed the time limit for absences (e.g. due to supervision bottlenecks). In case of absences due to your own illness or the illness of your child, you can submit a certificate explaining and excusing your absence.

It makes sense to inform lecturers about your own situation, especially when planning a term paper, a presentation or a thesis. You should ask for an extension of the deadline in good time.

Many teachers offer individual appointments for students with child(ren). If not, KuKi will also take care of children at short notice - but you should contact KuKi beforehand and get your child settled in! If you need to take your child with you to the consultation hour, you can let the lecturer know in advance.

If you are not involved with hazardous materials, you could also try to take your child with you to a seminar - just see if it is suitable and okay for you, your child and fellow students - you can also coordinate with the lecturers. For older children who can already occupy themselves quietly for 90 minutes, bringing them along (also for the lecturer) should not be a problem.

Learning and working time is available to you during the first years of the child's life, especially when the child is sleeping or otherwise being cared for. A lot of time must be scheduled for learning and writing homework or similar, and therefore additional care may need to be organized.